“I am the High Representative (HR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) who controls the implementation of the Dayton Agreement,” Christian Schmidt stated in an interview with BN TV.
He said to politicians to stick to the facts according to the Dayton Peace Agreement.
“The HR is being elected by the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in BiH, so I recommend that we do not discuss procedures but content,” told Schmidt, adding that he was not there to please politicians but to do something good for all people together with them.
“I want us to do something together for all the people in BiH, and I recommend everyone to participate in that, and those who block are actually blocking themselves,” Schmidt said.
While speaking about the crisis in BiH, which began from the imposition of Inzko’s law, Schmidt said that he is well aware of the crisis in BiH.
Also, he explained that he talked to people and that in the political sense, it is important that the interlocutors are also holders of power, and that will be the case.
“I believe we need to work jointly and that’s why I’m here. I’m watching now and after that, I’ll start some things,” Schmidt said.
When asked if there was a signal from the representatives of the Republika Srpska (RS) authorities to talk to him, he answered in the affirmative.
“I will not tell you who contacted me. It seems to me that in this country everything that should be confidential will somehowreach the public,” Schmidt stated.
He said that he has great respect for all the elected people, but he also expects, as he said, respect for himself.
“The interest of the RS and the Federation of BiH (FBiH) should be the same. Their interest should be economic development, and in order to achieve that, you must talk,” Schmidt said, stating that he supports the “Open Balkans”…
When it comes to the influence of Turkey, Serbia, and Croatia on BiH, he mentioned that those countries play an important role and added:
“But it will still be certain that the European Union (EU) and the international community will play a role that is important and part of this whole story under the Dayton Agreement,” Schmidt pointed out.
Further, he said that BiH’s path is still from Dayton to Brussels.
As for the Bonn powers, he noted it was “a tool of the HR in BiH, and it is available to him”, Radio Sarajevo writes.
E.Dz.
